Patent GB-791547-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to electric circuit arrangements employing transistors for generating substantially linear voltage changes
Inventor: STEPHENSON WILLIAM LAWRENCE
IPC: H03K4/56
Filed: 1955-05-31
Abstract: 791,547. Transistor pulse and saw-tooth generating circuits. MULLARD RADIO VALVE CO., Ltd. May 31, 1955, No. 15568/55. Class 40 (6). In a circuit with a capacitor 7 between the collector and base of a first transistor T1 to provide Miller feed-back, second and third transistors T2 and T3 are coupled in a regenerative loop with the second transistor in the collector circuit of the first so as'to interrupt the feed-back. In the rest condition transistors T1 and T3 conduct to bias transistor T2 to a low state of conduction, the potential of the collector of transistor T3 being caught by diode D1 at - E4. The potential of the emitter of transistor T3 lies between E3 and earth and with resistor 6 determines the potential of the emitter of transistor T2. The circuit may be triggered by positive-going pulses applied at points 12, 13 or 14, or negative-going pulses at points 10 or 11. Assuming a positive pulse is applied to the base of transistor T3, the current is reduced so that the collector potential becomes more negative, the current in transistor T2 increasing, the rise in collector potential being applied over capacitor 7 to the base of transistor T1. The collector current in transistor T1 falls accordingly so that the emitter potential of transistor T3 goes a more negative to reduce further the current flow in transistor T3. The regenerative process continues until the transistor T3 is cut-off by the emitter potential falling below - E3, the collector and hence the base of transistor T2 being at - E2. The emitter potential of transistor T2 takes up a potential near - E2, the exact potential being determined by the feedback over capacitor 7 so that the collector potential rises linearly, Fig. 2. The action ends when the emitter potential of transistor T3 rises sufficiently for the transistor to commence conduction, the rise in collector potential causing the current in transistor T2 to reduce, the fall in collector potential being applied over capacitor 7 to transistor T1. The fall in base potential of transistor T1 causes an increase in current flow so that the emitter potential of transistor T3 is raised further, the process continuing until the initial state is restored. If the catcher diode D1 is omitted transistor T3 bottoms in the rest condition and transistor T2 is fully cut off. A diode D2 may be connected to the collector of transistor T2 and a bias potential - E0 between -E1 and to terminate the linear sweep provided it occurs before the emitter of transistor T3 has reached - E3. If resistor 8 is made sufficiently large the transistor T1 is unable to supply sufficient current to maintain the stable state and the circuit oscillates. A capacitor 15 may shunt the resistor 9, the linear sweep then occurring only during a period determined by resistor 9 and capacitor 15. The resistor 9 may be connected to the emitter of transistor T2 and the capacitor to any reference point. A diode D3 may be connected to the emitter of transistor T2 to operate as a catcher diode. If the resistor 6 is replaced by a direct connection, the circuit may be made monostable or selfoscillating. It is then preferable to remove diode D1 and employ D2 to allow the emitter potential of transistor T3 to go positive with respect to - E3 so that transistor T3 can conduct. Specifications 767,727, 787,917 and 791,546 are referred to.